Valve.



F .1 v 19/ I;

J. W. GAMBLE.

v VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-4,1913.

Patented Feb. 22,1916.

WITNESSES unrrnn s'iraans rearnn'r ornrcn.

JOSEPH WJ GAMBLE,'OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR T0 HARRISONSAFETY BOILER WORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COPARTNEBST-IIP.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i atented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed. November 4, 1913. i Serial No. 799,081.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WV. GAMBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inValves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves and is directed particularly to theprovision of a check-valve adapted to operate on low pressures, such forinstance, as pressures under one pound. Check-valves of this characterare of special utility in connection with installations of turbines ofthe bleeder type.

The invention involves the provision of a valve having one or moremovable valvemembers, each of which is provided with a spring arrangedto lift the valve-member from its seat, but having insufficient tensionto effect such lifting of the valve-member when unaided by pressure uponthe valvemember. Such a spring acting upon the movable valve-memberserves to sustain a portion of the weight of the valve-member so thatthe pressure upon-the valve-member is required to lift av portion onlyof the valve-member in order to open a passage for the escape of thesteam.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of movablemembers are employed governing individual openings through whichexcessive pressure conditions are relieved. Each of these valve-membersnormally rests by gravity upon the valvedeck in which the openings areformed in order to close those openings and a rise of pressure, tends tolift the valve-members from their seats. The springs above mentioned arearranged to assist in this raising movement. Thus if one or two of thevalvemembers become stuck to their seats there will still be one or moreothers which will respond to the excessive pressure and operate torelieve it. Also, the provision of springs arranged to sustain a portionof the weight of the movable valve-members makes it possible to have thevalve respond to a rise of pressure of a very small amount, such forinstance, as a rise to six or eight ounces. Preferably a pressure plateis mounted stationarily within the casing of the valve on which all ofthe several springs employed bear at their lower ends, the upper'ends ofthese springs being connected to the stems of the valve-members. Also,each valvemember is preferably provided with a dash pot to regulate itsmovements.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a valve andFig. 2 is a horizontal section showing the pressure plate and the partsassociated therewith in plan view.

Referring to these drawings, 3 indicates the casing of the valve havingan inlet opening 4 and an outlet opening 5 formed therein. This valve isarranged to be horizontally disposed in a length of steam piping. Withinthe casing 3 is a horizon tally disposed valve-deck 6 having a pluralityof openings therethrough, each of which is adapted to be closed by amovable valvemember 7. The casing 3 of the valve has walls 8 and 9formed integral therewith with which the valve-deck 6 coacts so that thevalve-members 7 control the passage of steam through the valve. Thevalve-deck 6 is secured in position in coaction with the walls 8 and 9by a bolt 10 extending through a spacer 11.

A pressure plate 12 is mounted above and parallel to the valve-deck 6.It is secured stationarily in position by a bolt 13 passing through thepressure plate and entering the valve-deck, a spacer 14 being employedfor separating the valve-deck and pressure plate the requisite amount.In addition to the bolts 10 and 13 and the spacers coacting therewith,additional bolts and spacers may be employed, as indicated, for holdingthe valve-deck 6 rigidly upon its seat upon the walls 8 and 9 and formounting the pressure plate 12 fixedly within the casing parallel to andat a definite distance from the valvedeck 6.

Each of the movable valve-members 7 is provided with a stem 15 extendingupwardly from the valve-member through an opening in the pressure plate12. A spring 16 is coiled about each valvestem 15 above the pressureplate 12 and has its lower end lying within a cup formed in the upperface of the pressure plate and resting upon the pressure plate. Theupper end of each spring 16 is received within a cap 17 secured upon thevalve-stem 15. Each movable valvemember 7 is also provided with adashpot. On the under side of the valve-member 1s a cylindri 'alextension 18 constituting a piston which is received within a cylinder19 sustained by a holder 20 formed in the caste ing for the deck-plate6.

Each of the springs 16 is compressed slightly between the deck-plate 12and the cap 17 which is secured to the stem 15. Because of thiscompression, the spring 16 tends to lift the corresponding valveqnenrher 7 from its seat upon the deck-plate. Since the valve is disposedhorizontally, the valve-member 7 tends to move by gravity downwardly'pon its seat. The degree of compression of the spring 16 between plate12 and cap 17 is such that the spring alone will not effect lifting ofthe valve-member 7. The spring is capable of sustaining but a portion ofthe weight of the movable valve-member 7. Therefore the valve-member 7rests normally upon its seat, but it will be raised from its seat toopen a passage through the valve in response to a pressure upon theunder side of the valve-member less than the pressure which would benecessary to raise the valve-member were the springs 16 not employed.The spring 16 is so made that its lifting power is relatively small andits tension can be adjusted in order to secure the desired results bychanging the position of the cap 17 upon the threaded end of the stem15. In this way, the valve is made to operate as a check valve inresponse to increases of pressure which are comparatively low, such forin stance, as increases to six or eight ounces.v Valves arranged tooperate in this manner are of particular utility in connection withbleeder turbines for regulating the flow of steam in the turbines.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is: V

1. A multi-port valve comprising a casing, horizontally disposedvalve-deck mounted therein having a plurality of openings therein, afixed pressure plate mounted above and parallel to the deck, a pluralityof movable valve-members each adapted to rest by gravity upon thevalve-deck in position to close one of the openings therein, a pluralityof springs mounted above the pressure plate and bearing thereon, and aconnection from each spring to a movable valve-member, each of saidsprings acting through its said connection in a direction to lift thecorresponding valve-member from its seat, substantially as set forth.

2. A multi-port valve comprising a casing, a horizontally disposedvalve-deck mounted therein having a plurality of openings therein, afixed horizontal pressure plate mounted above and parallel to the deck,a plurality of movable valve-members each adapted to rest by gravityupon the valvedeck in position to close one of the openings therein, astem on each valve-member projecting upwardly therefrom through anopening in the fixed pressure plate, a plurality of springs each coiledabout a stem, connected at its upper end to the stem and hearing at itslower end upon the pressure plate, each spring being under compressionto lift the corresponding valve-member from its seat but underinsufficient compression to effect such lifting when unaided, and'adash-pot connected to each valvemember, below the valvedeck,substantially as set forth.

A, inulti-port valve comprising a casting, a horizontally disposedvalve-deck mounted therein having a plurality of openings therein, apressure plate mounted above the deck, a plurality of movablevalve-members each adapted to rest by gravity upon the valve-deck inposition to close one of the openings therein, a stem oneachvalve-member projecting upwardly therefrom-through an opening in thepressure plate, the pressure plate having cylindrical flanges thereonone surrounding each opening, to form cups, and each valve stem having acap secured to its upper end, and a plurality of springs each coiledabout a-st-em, and positioned between thc'cap thereof and the adjacentcup formed on the pressure plate, said springs being under compressionto lift their valve-members from their seats,

but under insufficient compression to effect such lifting when unaided,substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 31st day of Octobe1g1913. iJOSEPH VJJGAMBLEJ Witnesses:

Ronnn'r G. CLIFTON, i M. M. FULTON, J

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 'of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,172,272, grantedFebruary 22, 1916, upon the application of Joseph W. Gamble, ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania,

for an improvement in Valves, an error appears in the printedspecification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 7 9-80,claim 3, for the WOI( casting read casing; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of March, A. D., 1916.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON, 01 Acting Commissioner of Patehts.

